Sakura
by soji
Summary: A different ending that branches through the Ikedaya Jiken. Instead of Okita dying four years later, Hijikata is able to discover a new medicine called Isoniazid that cures Tuberculosis. Souji holds onto life for a new future against fate. HIATUS sorry!
1. Prologue

**S a k u r a**

* * *

July 8th 1864

**Prologue**:

The wind was warm on his face, caressing closed eyelids that blocked the dawn of yet another new day. That's right… it was tonight. Okita Souji, (his birth name being Okita Sojiro Fujiwara no Harumasa later changed to Okita Souji Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi), pulled himself from the tangle of sheets and stood up. He swayed a little as a soft smile played upon his lips. The children that usually came to play wouldn't be coming today… He told them to stay at home; it would be dangerous tonight if they were to wander the streets. If the Shinsengumi failed in finding the Choshu's hideout…Kyoto would be only ashes by morning. He sighed, sitting down on the veranda outside his room, and closing his eyes to the abnormally bright sunlight. Okita was up too early yet again, his head swimming dizzily in the summer heat. He rested his forehead on his knees, the tips of his toes barely touching the rough surface of dirt where he struggled to keep from sliding off the wooden surface. He didn't hear the footsteps; he only felt the calloused hand suddenly on his shoulder. He lifted his head quickly, black hair parting from surprised, brown eyes.

"Souji," Came the soft voice of the demon vice-commander.

"Aaa! Hijikata-san… good morning," Okita replied with a nervous, but at the same time, pleasant smile.

"You're up early."

"Well, I wanted to watch the sunrise," Okita played, knowing all along that Hijikata's eyes saw straight through him and beyond. The excuse only seemed to work when other people were with them. He let out a soft sigh and looked down pitifully.

"You couldn't sleep again?" He asked the anticipated question.

"It's too hot...and I'm worried about tonight."

"That's right, that's why _you especially_ should be sleeping," Hijikata stated seriously. Okita looked away, embarrassed. "You've been tiring faster as of recent."

Again, Hijikata found no answer in the silence and sat down calmly beside his captain of the first squad. His hand moved from the younger man's shoulder and fell, instead, right on top of his head. Okita flushed suddenly and spun around where he stopped only to stare deep into the vice captain's eyes.

"This may be the last time…" Okita began, slowly articulating each word with meaning, but he was silenced by fingers that lifted gently to his lips. He looked down as Hijikata looked up, out into the clearing blue sky.

"Tonight we may even be able to see the stars."

_To be continued..._

* * *

After going through and reading just about every Okita story out there, I was so annoyed and very surprised to not find one fanfic that bends history enough to allow him to live through TB. That's the reason why I decided to make my own. Taking constructive criticism...Please review!

(recently edited)

-aki


	2. Blood and Steel

**S a k u r a**

* * *

**Chapter one**: Blood and Steel

The day went on, men rushing around as the world spun on in a daze of blurred organization. Dusk shattered the inner calm of the Shinsengumi as there soon became nothing more to prepare for. Yet still they went on, some men performed farewell ceremonies—honoring what could be their last day breathing, while others watched the sun fade into the horizon—listening to the coming sound of crickets. No one knew the future; for all they knew it could even be the last battle of the Shinsengumi… Okita shook his head, causing Saizou, his pig, to plummet from his arms and dart off in a random, unimportant direction. The captain let a small sigh escape his mouth as he turned to move in the direction his pig had left in. To his surprise, he almost ran straight into Hijikata (that man liked sneaking up on him!), the stern look of the vice commander growing instead into one of disclosure.

"There you are, Souji," He said, falsely pleasant, "Kondou is having the meeting now. We found the location."

"Eh!? You really did?" Souji moved in closer so that their noses were almost touching. He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing as he did so, and then abruptly took a few steps away. "Mou! I was just about to give Saizou his dinner." Hijikata raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the smile that threatened to shine through his eyes. Souji never ceased to surprise him.

"Let's go, the day is running short."

"Right behind you."

* * *

The wind had picked up while they sat in that confined room. It now whipped the long strands of Okita's pony tail around him, blowing spiky bangs into his face. The brown eyes that shone beneath black hair glinted in the darkness, revealing his true nature. Battle, he could already feel it coursing through his veins. He felt it in the hilt of his katana and in the very air he breathed out. His hand drifted to the black fabric of his hilt that was carefully positioned on the floor at his side.

The same eyes fell moments later when they exited the room onto the serious stare of Hijikata as Yamazaki explained the details of the search. Around them, torches burned, licking at the night air as they illuminated the light blue Shinsengumi happis recurring on every man's shoulders.

"Souji, how many men are able to march?" Hijikata asked unexpectedly.

"Thirty-four men," Came the steady, automatic response from his own lips.

All of the captains stood around vice captain Hijikata as they discussed the lack of men and those they sought in hiding. It wasn't until Kondou spoke that the answer to the issue was realized.

"Let's go, Toshi. You should know that our soldiers aren't patient enough to wait that long, ne?"

"I knew you'd say that," The demon responded with a slick smile.

And passed the blazing torches, they moved out. They split into two groups to search all of Kyoto: Hijikata went with captains Harada and Saitou, while Souji and Nagakura went with Kondou.

* * *

The fiery lamp read: House of Ikedaya, the sound of crickets almost blaring in their ears from the silence. It was Kondou's casual knock on the front door that resounded loudest in everyone's ears. Okita's eyes focused in a dead lock with the wood and when it opened, that was when it began: the Ikedaya Jiken. It was clear by the loaded guns and other various weapons leaning against one of the closets that this was indeed where the Choshu were hiding out. Death spread throughout the Inn as soon as the one who answered the door fell in a puddle of his own blood, while the enemies upstairs obliviously drank and partied. Okita followed behind his commander, their footsteps synchronized in the katas that consumed their very existence. Within moments, both their faces were splattered in blood.

"Excuse us, this is the Shinsengumi! We're searching this inn. Now, those who oppose us will be killed without mercy! We ask for your cooperation," Kondou resonated through the open shoji screens, the eyes of his men shinning fiercely. The stunned samurai that remained seated began to quiver whether with anger or fear, their katanas spoke it, or ran. Death hovered within the red that stained their steel, lingering in the glow of brown eyes that delivered it. Blood splashed the walls, the tatami, and their clothing. Okita and Kondou killed triple their number within seconds.

As they were surrounded in the upstairs room, Okita's attention faltered, a pain growing faintly in his chest. A man charged forward at an odd and unexpected angle. The first squad captain spun around, flipping his sword through flesh, and then another until they were alone in a room of corpses. Kondou moved on, in search of aiding the rest of their troops. Silence descended suddenly on the second level, the remains of battle standing still except one man who charged blindly to his death. He fell on Okita's blade, hands coming to meet the defined surface of steel.

The man died, Souji's panting now the only sound that passed that of the trickling blood. A stained hand reached up to touch his own lips, a growing pain surfacing quickly in his chest. It was not something caused by a sword—he knew that—it was something else entirely. He coughed, staggering down the stairs to find Nagakura and yet another lone man determined enough to fight on. It was then…Yoshida appeared before them, black hair swaying like flames as he walked towards them. His eyes were drawn in a crazy stare straight ahead…at them; the urge to kill created its own aura around him.

In a moment of surprise, Heisuke came from nowhere, deciding to slash Yoshida's spear in half. It was Heisuke's turn to be shocked as Yoshida continued to aim the spear's blade at his head with godly speed. Shinpachi was faster, blocking the spear before it killed his friend, leaving a fairly deep gash. Not pausing, the red-haired captain reached to catch Heisuke on the ground. It was Okita's turn…

_To be continued..._

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I know, I'm not very good at all at writing long chapters. I never really have been either. I think I just write until I feel like stopping and that's the chapter. This fic will get better too, I promise. I just have to get passed the parts that are actually in the anime...  
I already wrote the last chapter to this fic (working on the others still). Review :D

(Recently edited)

-aki


	3. Victory's Pain

**S a k u r a**

* * *

**Chapter two**: Victory's Pain

It was blur from that point on. The sounds of swords clashing reverberated in his ears as the desperation for victory consumed them both. Souji saw an opening, and took it without hesitation, his sword meeting the flesh of Yoshida's left shoulder. The sharp blade stabbed straight through, but Souji knew that it couldn't possibly be over…not yet. He held the sword over the enemy's heart—if he had one—and was prepared to end the other's life, but it was at that moment, Tetsu spoke his name. Okita heard him, felt the innocence, but still raised his sword but higher. …Finally this would be over.

He felt the pain before he realized Yoshida was still conscious and then he hit the ground like all the others he had killed before. He couldn't breathe, barely able to register the words being spoken or the coming danger. From the ground, his hand shot out and gripped tightly to the hem of a black hakama before it could move too far away. Not Tetsu; he wouldn't let Tetsu die. Brown eyes ignited with rage at the thought.

"I'm still alive," He demanded, his voice low and yet struggled, as he managed to pull air into his burning lungs. _Pain, pain, pain_, his mind shot at him with confusion. Why?

He pushed himself up as quickly as he could manage and continued the bitter task of killing the samurai dressed in all black. His katana stabbed at Yoshida's throat as if by its own will, missing not even by inches. Yet again, Okita was kicked back, unable to ignore or mask the pain when he hit the shoji screen. No, it wasn't over. He charged down the hallway and attacked, missing again. The emotions from slicing air filled his voice with anger. He lashed out, and finally blood was spilt, but it seemed the enemy already knew to hit him where it already hurt. Weaponless, Yoshida kicked, his foot connecting with such a deadly force that it rendered the Shinsengumi armor useless. Okita flew back, but he refused to let go of his sword, keeping him from falling backwards since it was still lodged in his enemy's shoulder.

The agony was increasing, and he coughed, covering his mouth and curling into himself to escape the sharp pains. All at once though, it got worse and he withdrew his hand to see blood—his own blood—blood that came from his mouth. Terror escalated through him followed by the metallic taste of blood, and then he found himself on the ground, coughing.

Again, Yoshida attacked with his foot, using his body weight to crush Okita's rib cage. It was at that point the pain became a word rarely used: unbearable. Okita at once felt separated from his body, except—of course—for the depressing fact that he was still unable to escape the immense pain that shot through him. More blood escaped from the side of his lips, his eyes shut tightly while his mind ran in a frenzy of torture and confusion. Okita was convinced he was going to die, panting as he lay defeated and weak. He barely realized it when he was in Tetsu's arms, but that didn't mean he didn't hear the boy's words as he cried and told him that he had finally discovered that the reason he joined the Shinsengumi wasn't so that he could kill… The tears, they seemed to warm Souji, carrying him softly back to an exhausted reality. He reached the same hand up that had grabbed Yoshida's hakama what seemed like moments before, and brushed away Tetsu's tears.

From the corner of his eye he caught movement and warned the boy before they were both killed. He was left alone after that, finally his own movement ceased, and he just simply listened to the voices and steel clashing almost like music that lulled him further into a daze. It was Tetsu's scream of pain that eventually roused him. After that, he realized instantly what was happening. Okita pulled himself up, using his hands as leverage and his voice, stronger now.

"Wait please. Don't help him now."

"What are you saying, Souji?" Kondo inquired beside Shinpachi. Okita had hardly realized he was there.

"He's okay. He…will win." Their eyes drifted from each other and to the battle that, in their minds, could have already ended had not Souji stopped them. It was now Tetsu's battle against his cowardice. Okita spoke his thoughts, accessing all he saw out loud, his eyes sharp, and his tone serious. It went on and Okita watched quietly until it was clear when an arm soared through the air that it was over. Their assumptions were wrong when seconds later, they were shocked to see that Tetsu would die if Yoshida wasn't stopped. The crazed man adorned a blade in his own mouth and it was aimed at Tetsu's throat.

"Tetsu-kun!" Souji tried.

But the boy was overcome by fear, faced with a shattered katana that would end his life or a clean one that would be stained in his first kill. Souji wouldn't let either happen, as his speed and silence earned him cover and his blade stole the murderer's head from his bloodied shoulders. It was over for sure now.

"You said…it wasn't so you could kill. Please keep that promise."

* * *

Next? Okita didn't quite know what happened next, but he found himself in a room, somehow led there by men of his squadron. In between them, he attempted to breathe without even sensing how much time was passing.

Footsteps, he heard them for sure coming from beyond the open doors. They were quick and urgent; he had to wonder what for? He tried to listen beyond his own coughing, but gave up until the footsteps finally stopped in front of the open shoji. Immediately he recognized the man and came to his senses more vividly.

"Hi—Hijikata-san," He voiced through coughs.

"Souji…are you…spitting out blood?" Toshizou certainly didn't wait for a reply before he pulled his captain by the arm and straight against him.

"You mustn't vice-chief. He may have broken his ribcage," One of Okita's men said softly. At that, the demon scoffed in horror as Okita laughed.

"Hijikata-san, what a face. Don't worry. Not all of this is my blood," Souji was quick to dispel the worry as much as he could since he hated to appear so weak in front of anyone. Hijikata sent the other men away quickly to get tea, while Okita faintly noticed him pulling out a packet of medicine. The worry on Hijikata's face ate more at him than the pain and he merely smiled, hoping to somehow relieve him of it. It didn't work—it never did.

He drank the tea, though, and it tasted terrible—like usual—and mostly of blood. He couldn't finish it, so Hijikata drank the rest. A different smile slipped subconsciously onto Souji's face and one not to cover over the pain and worry, but one of pure happiness. He stood, and thanked the man he cared so much for accordingly.

The rest of the Ikedaya incident was a blur with streams of talking, confirmations, suppressed coughs, and Hijikata watching him like a hawk. When Kondo announced the next afternoon that they would finally be returning to main headquarters, relief swept through him and the thought that he wouldn't be forced by Hijikata to leave before everyone else and end up showing more of his weakness than he already had. They began the trek back. Hijikata threw his arm protectively around Souji's shoulders, supporting the exhausted Shinsengumi member and, at the same time, shielding him. It was this time Okita really needed the help, even if he continued to hide behind a smile.

_To be Continued..._

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Thanks everyone for all the comments it really does keep me going. I've been busy recently with school and all so I haven't had much time to do anything. This is just another chapter using the exact events from the anime... Finally though in the next chapter I can get on with it. Ugh... it killed me to write this and the last one. (It really is boring taking the anime and making it into words), maybe that's why this fic hasn't taken off quite yet. All well, at least we can all look forward to the next chapter titled: Fireworks!

(Recently edited)

-aki


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